Bella and the Beast
by Simply Kiwi
Summary: Cursed into becoming creatures of the night, Prince Edward and his servants must live a tortured and secluded existence. Despite the odds, they hope to one day be set free. But who could ever learn to love a beast? //BATB&Twilight crossover./ - HIATUS.
1. Prologue

**So, guess who's back (back, back). Back again ('gain, 'gain). Kiwi's back (back, back).** **Tell a friend (friend, friend).**

**... Anyhow, yes, I'm back with a brand new story! We recently did a production of Beauty and the Beast in my American Musical Theatre class at school, and I was very inspired to write this afterwards. I am aware that there is another version of this story out there, but it is very different than where I am planning on taking mine. My Bella and the Beast will _strictly_ follow the musical.**

**So, uh, I hope you enjoy. Please review!**

* * *

"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?"_ – Disney's __**Beauty and the Beast.**_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Prologue_  
Happy Birthday_

"Happy birthday, Edward!"

A round, heavily frosted cake sat in the center of the mahogany wood dining table. At the heart of the exceptionally large cake were _twenty_ blue candles, each of them lit. Their tiny, glowing flames were the only light in the room.

Surrounding one side of the cake, were five very eager observers. They stared and smiled at the boy sitting at the table, who was looking at the cake with a very confused expression. His black eyes examined it carefully before he looked up at the others, one perfect eyebrow arched in bewilderment.

"As much as I appreciate the effort—"

The tiniest one in the group stepped forward before he could finish his objection. "We know you can't eat it," she said, her soprano voice twinkling. "It's just for show. Esme wanted to make this special. After all, turning twenty is _quite_ an accomplishment."

His onyx eyes narrowed as he rose from the table. "_As much as I appreciate the effort,_" he pressed, "This is _hardly_ an occasion to celebrate."

The little one sighed. "Don't be difficult, Edward," she said, her own eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Esme worked very hard on this." She shook her head. "You know, if things were the way they used to be—,"

"Ah, but nothing_ is _the way that it used to be, is it?" another woman cooed. The soft voice was deathly calm; quiet, yet threatening. All attention was immediately transferred to the bitter voice, and to be beautiful blonde that controlled it. As she approached, a scowl was playing on her perfect features. She glanced at the little pixie, her eyes filled with nothing but malice.

"_Nothing_ is the way that it's supposed to be, Alice. And with every day that he"—she glanced at Edward in disgust, who's eyes immediately fell to the floor in agreement and shame—"ages, we become closer and closer to the day where the last petal falls, and our state becomes _permanent_." She spat the last word. Her voice was mocking as she added, "I'm sorry if we do not feel like celebrating such an _accomplishment._"

The one called Alice was about to retort, but another one in the group scurried forward and rushed to the side of the beautiful blonde. He was much larger than anyone else in the room, and positively towered over the bitter woman now at his side.

"Come on, Rose," he said, putting his arm around her and squeezing her to his side. Her ridged posture softened almost unnoticeably. "Don't be like that. We're all just trying to have a little fun, is all. You can understand that, can't you, Rosalie?"

She turned her head away from him. "Hmph."

"Or," he said, his voice turning mischievous. He lowered his lips to her ear and continued, "You and I can have our _own_ fun, _elsewhere._"

Rosalie's eyes widened and she giggled quietly. "Now _that,_" she said, smirking deviously as she took his hand and led him out of the room, "is my kind of celebration."

Emmett turned to the others and winked before he was out of sight.

Alice sighed. "Okay," she said, shaking her little head. "That was sufficiently awkward, but we can now resume the party!"

"Alice," Edward groaned. His face fell into his hand, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. When he spoke again, his tone was filled with nothing but remorse. "Rosalie's right. Let's not forget that it was _my _selfishness that put us in this position in the first place. Every day that I age, our hope for an escape decreases. Not only that, but I don't think that there would be a shred of hope for us, even if I had another hundred years to age. Have you forgotten the terms regarding our freedom? A human has not come near this house in years, and if, by some miracle, one happened to pass by - she certainly would not knock on our door and attempt to get to know us. My aging is merely another reason to give up all faith. As Rose said, this is hardly a night for celebration."

"Oh, but Edward," the eldest woman sighed, finally speaking. "Couldn't you please just cooperate with us for one night? If you stop sulking, perhaps you will be able to enjoy your birthday for the first time in years. You only turn twenty once, Edward."

Edward lifted his head to meet eyes with the woman. "Yes, Esme," he said, shaking his head. "However, on this day next year, I will forever be twenty-_one._ The next time you place an absurdly large cake in front of me, the petals will have wilted, and we will have the rest of eternity to live with the thorns. Turning twenty is meaningless, Esme. From here on out, the years are nothing but numbers."

"Will you please just humor her?" the man beside Esme asked. "Please, Edward. This means a lot to her. Just, sit down, and let her fuss over you like you've done every year before this blasted curse was set upon us."

A snarl escaped Edward's lips before he could stop it. _Why _weren't they listening to him?What was so difficult to comprehend about what he was saying? Edward didn't get it. What was so complicated about this situation? The servants _obviously _hadn't grasped what had occurred over the last couple years. If they did, they would not be so kind to him, still. They should have been shouting at him and accusing him - not attempting to celebrate for him! What on Earth was wrong with everyone? Had they forgotten what he had done? It nearly seemed so.

At least _Rosalie _had the common sense to display hatred towards him. Though, there was no reason for her to be the only one. They all should have loathed him. How could they not? They were monsters. Thirsty, disgusting, inhuman monsters. Because _he_ couldn't let one old woman come in from the rain. Yes, the entire household should have hated him. _He _certainly did.

"I _said,_" he growled angrily, his hands clenched into fists, "that I was not in the mood for celebrating." His eyes narrowed as he glared at those before him, and he opened his mouth to shout some more. They _had _to understand the reality of the situation. But the little one beat him to it.

"You know what? That is just fine! If you want to brood and feel sorry for yourself, you do just that! Completely ignore the fact that we worked our tails off to make things nice for you! God forbid you pay any attention to anything but your own, pathetic, depressing thoughts!" Alice snapped, glaring at him. "Your gift is obviously wasted, because you seem to only hear what you _want to!_ But, go ahead. Ignore what we're screaming at you. Be a sulky little child." She grabbed Jasper's hand and towed him with her out of the room. "Forever twenty-one my backside! I wouldn't be surprised if you were forever ten years old!"

Esme's wide eyes stared after Alice. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, apologizing for her daughter. "You know how her temper flares." She sighed, glancing over at the cake. "She hates the way that you regard yourself, that's all. It bothers her that you refuse to accept the kindness that we willingly send your way. Though, mostly, she wishes that you would let us love you. Alice doesn't like that you refuse her as your sister."

The bronze-haired one frowned deeply, his anger fading. "You know that it's not like that, Mrs. Platt..."

Esme nodded. "I know it's not," she said, "and so does Alice - and the rest of us, for that matter. Jasper worries about you. He knows how you feel better than all of us, perhaps better than yourself." She frowned. "You know, if that girl ever does come along, she certainly won't find this attitude attractive."

"I don't think we'll ever have to worry about that, Esme," he said, looking away from her eyes. With a sigh, he added, "I am very sorry about tonight. Please tell Alice I said so, as well."

"Of course, sir."

Edward smiled sadly. "I'm going upstairs for the night," he announced. "I will see you in the morning."

"Have a good evening, your Highness," Carlisle said, ducking his head.

Esme did the same.

Edward smiled back at them. It was a little agreement they had come to, years ago, when his parents first passed away and _he_ became the master of the castle. He was only twelve then. All of his servants would bow before they exited the room, as was the proper thing to do. Edward didn't like it, however, and told each of them it wasn't necessary. Of course they all refused, insisting that it was the _appropriate way_. Both the prince and his attendants were incredibly stubborn until a compromise was born. It was decided that they would simply bow their _head_ upon exiting. It was as simple as a nod, but it was enough to please the servants. Much to Edward's satisfaction, that tradition faded among the younger members of the house, as their bond grew to resemble that of siblings. Only Carlisle and Esme continued to behave the "appropriate way."

It was the eve of his seventeenth birthday that the hag came to his door. According to the legend, his entire household was cursed. However, when the villagers spread that he had been turned into a hideous beast, they were all too willing to take it literally. They imagined an unsightly, hairy monster hiding inside the castle. They had no idea that a scary, fluffy, yet somehow lovable beast was not the sort that lived behind the hills.

Edward and his servants were given a much less tolerable fate. They were turned into monsters, alright, but not the kind that the legends led others to believe. No, they were turned into the things of nightmares, the monsters that had been considered fictional for centuries. The enchantress transformed them into _vampires._

He and his family were cursed to an eternity in the castle, never to leave its grounds. They were forced to live a life of darkness; never aging, never dying – forced to live through eternity with a thirst that they could never quench . . . .

"Is there anything I can get you before you go?" Esme asked, bringing Edward out of his thoughts. She smiled at him, concerned over what he was brooding about, most likely. But that was Esme, always caring, always worrying.

"No thank you," Edward said, a small smile pulling at his lips. "Have a good evening." He lingered for just a moment before he turned and disappeared behind the corner.

Esme leaned in to blow out the candles, and the room faded to black.

**Reviews are my oxygen. **


	2. Bella

_Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar  
I wonder if she's feeling well  
With a dreamy, far-off look  
And her nose stuck in a book  
What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle_

Chapter one_  
Bella_

Bella Swan had lived in the dull, provincial town for as long as she could remember. And for as long as she could remember, she had wanted to _get out._ Bella loathed the small town. There was nothing remotely appealing about Forks. Everyone knew your name and your entire lineage. Everyone knew your business and chatted about it as you walked by them on your way into the store. There was nothing to do and nowhere to go. That was not the place that Bella wanted to spend the rest of her life.

She longed for adventure, a life of excitement - both of which seemed completely unattainable in the tiny, rainy city. It was why Bella began reading at such a very young age. Sure, the place that she lived was dull and rainy. Sure, she wanted something more. But Bella always had her books. Her books _took_ her places. When she read, she was swept away. She was taken to faraway places filled with adventure, and romance, and happy endings. Things that she would never achieve so long as she was stuck in Forks.

And stuck she was. Forks may have been the last place she wanted to be, but it was the only place that her father would stay. For some reason, he loved the small town. And Bella couldn't leave him. The man could hardly cook himself instant mac-and-cheese. She couldn't leave poor Charlie to fend for himself. She loved her father. And hence, Bella was forced to remain in Forks, Washington until her father left _her. _Which was something that Bella did not want to think about in the least.

So, Bella was forced to continue her reading. Even after she had read every book in the town's tiny library, she went on to re-read her favorites. She sent herself to the same places repeatedly, each time as excited about the adventure as the first. Never did the happy endings grow old. She would rather read about the same stories than think about the lack of excitement in _hers._

In fact, that's where she was heading to when our story began. She had just hopped into her truck and began her trek through town, completely oblivious to the stares and whispers of those that she passed. Though the girl was not dense. She was aware that the townspeople thought she was odd. _She _thought she was odd. After all, no one else seemed to be bothered by the mundane town. Everyone else enjoyed gossiping and giggling, and Bella didn't. If that made her odd, so be it. She could deal.

Bella pulled into the library parking lot with a smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

One of Bella's many observers, Mike Newton, was standing in front of his parent's shop in town. His best friend and goon, Tyler Crowley, stood a few feet away. The two had been completely swept up in their game of catch for nearly an hour, before the harsh mechanical wheeze of Bella's truck ripped through the near silence. Tyler passed Mike the football and, as Mike's attention turned to the ancient vehicle, the ball whizzed right past his head.

"Uh, dude?" asked Tyler.

"There's Bella," said Mike, turning to stare at the red truck. The entire concept of the game slipped straight from his mind. He stepped over the football as he walked forward after the truck, as if he planned on chasing after it.

Tyler's nasally voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Dude, Bella Swan? She's so weird! Always reading and crap!"

"Shut up, man!" Mike snapped, whirling to face his friend. He kicked the football as he did so, and it rolled right into Tyler's feet, causing the boy to immediately trip over it.

He recovered immediately, however. He'd never show weakness to Mike. You just didn't _do that_ in front of the school's quarterback. He jumped to his feet and trotted back to Mike, who had returned to staring after the red truck, which had long faded into the distance.

"She is so beautiful, isn't she?" Mike asked, his admiration evident in his voice. "I'm going to ask her to the spring dance. She'll look absolutely gorgeous on my arm, don't you think?"

Tyler blinked, cocking his head to the side. "Well, sure she would, Mike," he replied, tilting his head to look at his much taller friend. "But, dude, isn't it girl's choice?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter," he said, stepping forward again. "She'll be too thrilled that _I _asked her to even think about that."

Tyler still wasn't convinced. "But, Mike, didn't you have several other girls ask you already?" he asked. "Why would you rather go with that weirdo girl than someone normal, like, I dunno, Jessica Stanley?"

Mike whirled, grabbing Tyler by the collar and lifting him into the air. "Because _I _don't _want_ Jessica Stanley, you doof, I want _Bella Swan._" His eyes narrowed. "And don't _I _deserve exactly what I want, Tyler?"

Tyler's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Of—of course you do, Mike," he said, swallowing hard. "You—you deserve to get whoever you want. Who cares about ladies choice, anyway? You can do whatever you want."

Mike scowled and dropped Tyler. He landed on his backside with a 'thud'.

"_That's what I thought,_" he sneered. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a girl to get."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bella walked out of the library grinning. She clutched her favorite book to her chest as she turned the corner towards the parking lot. She had checked it out so many times that the bookkeeper decided that she should just keep it. No one else really asked for it, anyway.

She was just about to reach for her car door when Mike Newton stepped in front of her, grinning like a madman. Her smile faded at the sight of him, but she instantly tried to stuff a fake one on her face. She never had been a big fan of Mike, but she couldn't allow herself to be rude. It wasn't as if he had actually _done _anything to make her dislike him. Not really. He was just a little too arrogant for her taste. And he had the makings of a womanizer in the making.

"Hello, Bella."

All smiles, Bella replied, "Hey, Mike."

"What'cha got there?" he asked, reaching over and grabbing the book out of her hands. Raising an eyebrow as he did so, he flipped through the many pages. "Do you have a book report or something?"

Bella scowled. "No, Mike," she replied, narrowing her eyes. She was glad to finally have the chance to be angry at him. "I just like to read."

"Why would you want to read _this_?" he blurted, raising his eyebrows. He glanced back down at the book and read a few lines. "I can barely understand what he's talking about. How can you actually _enjoy _this?"

Bella reached to grab the book, but Mike held it away from her. She clenched her fists. "_Some people _happen to like Shakespeare," she retorted. "It's not very difficult to understand if you have more than two brain cells."

"Ooh, feisty," Mike replied, laughing. "I like that."

Bella glared. "Just give me my book, Mike."

"Why don't we head back to my place?" he asked, ignoring her request. "Maybe you can explain this Shakespeare romance stuff to me." He grinned. "And, you know, the best way to teach is by example…"

Bella snatched the book from his hands. "I don't think so, Mike," she snapped, reaching around him to grasp the door handle. "I have to go check on my father."

Glaring, Mike stepped out of the way. "He's a grown man, Bella," he said, folding his arms over his chest. "Any sane adult his age could handle himself on his own."

Bella didn't bother replying. She just hopped into the cab of her truck and headed home.

**AN: I know, I know. It's very short. The chapters will get longer, I promise.**

**Please review. **


	3. Goodbye

Dear Readers,

As you can tell, this is not an update. I've finally come to say my final goodbye to Fanfiction. It's been a year since my last update, and I figured it was about time that I faced facts. I will be attending my senior year of high school come the end of August, and I think it's time to move on. For a long time, I had a home here on Fanfiction. I wrote so many stories here, and on a previous penname, over the course of my middle and high school career. Because of Twilight Fanfiction, I realized that I wanted to become a writer, and I now plan on spending the rest of my life doing nothing else. Without this site, I'd probably still be planning on becoming a teacher, or something like that. I will not be finishing Bella and the Beast, nor will I continue my series of drabbles, or my constant flow of oneshots. I will continue reading and reviewing my favorite authors and stories, but all updates from me will officially stop. (Not like they hadn't un-officially already.)

I want to thank all of my faithful readers for their constructive feedback; your reviews have helped me grow and learn as a writer. Without you, I would have little reason to keep writing, and who knows where I'd be, then? Thank you, thank you, thank you. You may catch me over on FictionPress, where I will be posting short stories, prose, and maybe even the workings of a novel. You may find the link on my profile. If you'd like, I'm also willing to give out my MySpace link. Just send me a message over on FP.

Thank you again. It's been real.

All my best,

Kiwi


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